Rough Loss...

Can't believe we lost that one: 

Tonight experienced my first loss as a member of the Lubeck Seals. It was a tough 13-9 nail-biter against the Rostock Griffins in what was a huge game for the Seals club.  I must say our guys fought hard and left it all on the field, which is all you can ask for of your teammates. We just made so many critical mistakes and that really came back to haunt us in the end. However, I have to give credit where credit is due, Rostock played well and they were very physical for four quarters. It was definitely my kinda game with lots of big hits, trash talking, and even some blood shed haha. Overall, I'm of course very disappointed cuz I really wanted this win. And not even for myself or my own competitive nature, I wanted this one for these guys who have come to be my little family over here. They have been so open and welcoming and I just wanted this win to help these guys achieve their goal of progressing this club to the next division of GFL football. It honestly hurt me to my soul to watch Rostock celebrate on our home field after their close victory. You never wanna watch a team celebrate but on your own field always makes it that much worse.

I feel like in many sense I let these guys down. I didn't have my best game and just couldn't get it going when we needed it most. For that I am sorry because it wasn't for lack of trying or will, just wasn't my night for whatever reason :/.

On a more positive...

I did something right before the game that I haven't done in what seems like forever. I said a true prayer to God just before the game. It felt like such a relief of tension and stress that I'm sure had been pent up inside me for years now. And I was able to let my own emotional guard down and really embrace how blessed I am to have this opportunity to be here in Germany just playing ball with my boys really. Can't wait to see what else is in store for me...

Last few days...and some updates

Yesterday:

Finally got back into the hospital and got an MRI scheduled on my shoulder. The last few weeks dealing with it have literally been a pain. Hoping it's nothing serious, but it's starting to affect my sleeping so who knows :/.

On a positive note, we once again got to interact with local youth yesterday. Marvin, Jose, and I helped out teaching local students some simple football skills such as throwing, catching, and tackling. It was fun to see them try to figure out how to move and catch at the same time. Also some the guys we worked with seemed really enthusiastic and showed some interest in coming out for our youth teams, which would be a real addition to the club. What had to be the best part was after we'd finished working w/ them, the kids treated us like mini-celebrities :). Especially Marvin, he was a real hit with the kids as they clambered around him to take pictures and talk to him. But Jose and I even got a little love, it was just cool to interact with them and continue to put the Seals club out there in the community. I feel that's gonna be the quickest way to build the program and start to create awareness of the two teams participating here in Lubeck.


This weekend...

The team has a huge opportunity to continue to advance the program and keep pace with what has been an awesome season. I'm so excited to get back on the field and compete against the Griffins from Rostock. After watching them on film and seeing them in person this past Saturday, I must say it will be a tough fight for our club but I believe we definitely have the tools to get a win against these guys. It's a good chance for us to once again show what we've worked so hard for and look to get a big win that would allow us to move up to 2nd division for next season. We just have to stay focused and be ready for the challenge, but I think most importantly we as a team just have to approach it like any other game and go out compete, execute, and get a win. GO SEALS!!!

Good News:

I've mentioned the last few posts my apprehension about what will happen once I'm back home in terms of employment and other issues. Well on the job front I've sent out several applications with my resume and so far I've had two opportunities come about. I'm excited as one is doing something I love working with kids and the lady I've been in contact with said she is very excited to interview me once I'm back. So here's hoping this opportunity pans out! I must say I'm so blessed and the prayers of myself and others continue to be heard. Now I just gotta go out and make these opportunities a reality.

Who's afraid of the black man...

Nobody?

Apparently this is children's game here in Europe (Germany/Austria?). So here's the story...

Marvin, Jose, and I are driving on our way to a local school where we are teaching kids the fundamentals of flag football to build the relationship between the Seals football club and local youth. We were discussing drills or games we could have the kids do today during the hour or so we have with them. We talk about different versions of tag using the flags vs just taggin the individual or playing some type of capture the flag type game w/ the football being the "flag". Then Marvin explains to us a tag like game, similar to something I've played w/ a twist. It's call "Who's afraid of the black man". What makes it hilarious is that Marvin is a black guy from Austria and apparently growing up he often played this and would be the sole individual picked as the "tagger" since he was the fastest growing up.  The basic rules of the game are as such:

1. The game begins w/ a single tagger ("the black man" or Marvin, an actual black man in this case lol)
2. The sole tagger tags others who then also become taggers or "black men"
3. The initial single tagger states: "who's afraid of the black man". The group responds: "Nobody" . The tagger then says: "What will you do if he chases you". And the group shouts: "run". And the game of tag begins.

Now this sounds somewhat horrible, but we all died laughing at the cheer irony that A) Marvin often was the initial tagger at his school and B) that this game was allowed to be played at all w/ a name and back/forth responses like that. Ahh good times w/ my roommates

Updates...

Practiced for the first time in a week after hurting my shoulder in our last game. It felt pretty good to run around and catch some balls, also I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't hurt as much as I expected the next day. Still as a precaution probably gettin an MRI soon since it's a shoulder I had a prior injury to. Keepin' my fingers crossed on this one!

Also gettin pumped for this relegation game against Rostock soon, gonna be awesome to see how are team stacks up against these guys. Always excited for a challenge and the chance to compete. As we said at Willamette: "anybody, anytime, anywhere". So LET'S GO!!!

4 more weeks right now til I'm home and I can't wait for that first late night food run hahaha (craving some Jack in the crack or some Taco Bell lol :P). But really will just be great to get to some of the comforts of home. But now starting to think about what I'm gonna do once I'm back, and also whether this Seals team or another club will be interested in having me back next year? I'd love the opportunity and would definitely have to consider it if the offer came up. Let's see what happens!

ITALIA!!!

Italy at a glance...

Now that I'm back in not so sunny Lubeck I can take a minute to reflect on my time in Italy. Although it was short trip I felt we stuffed a lot in our 2 days worth of touring. From Pisa to Lucca and Florence,  I must say I was enamored with the culture, beauty, and history of the area. Pisa, although known for the leaning tower, offers so much more in the Duomo (Cathedral) of Santa Maria and the Camposanto Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). The art work within the Duomo is breath-taking with expansive painting covering the walls, ceiling etched in gold, and the statues/sculptures commemorating Christ as well as other influential individuals to the church.  In the cemetery you can easily forget it is even a place of burial with marble and granite covering nearly every surface and the tombs etched with stories and depictions of the lives of the individuals below. It was AMAZING to say the least. In Lucca I was pleasantly surprised by a little Italian city with it's own flavor and spice of life. Just 20min outside of Pisa, Lucca was a city I'd never even heard or thought of. I'm glad T-Speck had previously visited the area and introduced myself to a place I would love to visit again if I'm ever in the Pisa area. The most impressive element to Luca is the massive outer wall encompassing the entire city. The wall once fortified the city from external attacks and from it's sheer size I could see how formidable a defense it would provide.  Finally, once we made it to Florence and found parking (it was like searching for a needle in a hay stack, not to mention the locals were trying to run us off the road haha) we capped our day of touring with a bang.  Florence was at the very center of the Italian renaissance and the artwork sheds light to that. 

Overall the trip was great, full of surprises and intrigue but an experience nonetheless. But I must say just having the opportunity to visit Italy is a dream come true. This was definitely a check off my bucket list and to get to do it within the current circumstances makes the trip all the sweeter. I can't wait to come back someday!

Adventures, Humor, and Downright Ridiculousness 

So at its very core this trip was an adventure in all senses. I have to start with our arrival in Pisa at around 11pm on Fri night. We get into the airport and then go on what seemed a futile effort to rent a car that night. Literally every place had no cars available except one company (Thank God!). Then came the decision to not go to Rome and travel throughout the Tuscany region to save money and gas.  

Once in the city center of Pisa the night life really threw us off. As a university town we thought the night life would be marked by clubs and good bar scene. What we found was the entire city center taken over by a mass of people literally taking the party to the streets. Small store front bars and restaurants fuel this impromptu party scene with music and alcohol. It was crazy to see the wave of people talking, laughing, dancing etc. amidst statues, cathedrals, etc in the city center.

Saturday became our designated touring day as we drove from Pisa to Lucca to Florence and back all in a marathon day of sight seeing and travel.  As I've already stated the area was gorgeous even though this is an understatement. The countryside of Tuscany may be one of the single most beautiful things I have ever seen. The blend of natural, rustic color with a taste of culture with expansive villas was a site to behold. As a backdrop were the rolling hills/mountains adding to the overall spectacle of Italy's beauty. 

Finally on Sunday we took to exploring Pisa during the day. We were greeted by an open market in the square of miracles which is home of the leaning tower, the duomo, and the monumental cemetery in Pisa. We had several "salesmen" seek to entice us with fake designer watches, sunglasses, etc. One went so far as to ask me how much I thought his merchandise should cost. I told the guy it should be free b/c I was a broke tourist haha. Then we took to the Tirrenia, Italy and the beautiful Mediterranean coast. Relaxing in the sun and just enjoying some down time after all the walking and picture taking was nice. 

Then things got quirky,  

First due to having an early morning flight on Mon. we decided to cut some costs and not book a room for sunday night knowing we'd only be there a few hours. We felt we'd hang out at the beach, see the town and waste time at a local bar before taking a bus back into the city and eventually make our way to the airport.

1) We miss our bus into the city at 8 b/c our one drink we decided to have took about an hour (One thing I must say I don't get about Italian culture is just how SLOW the simplest things are), we ordered one drink each and it was like we ordered a 3-course meal

2) Then we proceed to wait for over an hour for the bus b/c the posted schedule was all messed up and we had no idea. While we waited and got antsy, we decided to give hitch hiking back to Pisa a try. Jose took to dancing and thumbing towards Pisa to no avail. So we though maybe a sign would help. All the sign did was add for some extra laughs as ppl sped up to pass by or stared us down like we were aliens or something haha. Then we finally make it back to Pisa and decide to grab a bite before heading to the airport to spend the night.

3) We arrive at the airport around 12:30am, decide to chill for a bit before making our way to our terminal and crashing until our 6am flight. What we find at 1 is that the airport closes and we have to leave, beginning a a marathon 3 hours stuck outside in the cold trying to catch some zzz's on the concrete outside Galileo International Airport. It was the most uncomfortable, yet hilarious moment of my life. Needless to say the night sucked...

4) To top it off at 4 am when we finally get to go inside, the airline wouldn't check us in b/c we had to wait until exactly 2 hours before our flight. WTH???

Basically our last night in Italy turned out to be just sheer insanity, but all in all the trip was a huge success. The food, the sites, smells, etc were all brand new and exciting for me. I can't wait to get the opportunity to return to Italy again sometime. But it feels good to be back in Deutscheland  and now for the homestretch.

4 more weeks...

I'll be back home in the USA. Each day here I continue to realize just how much the comforts of home are comforting. From just the ability to sleep in an airport or have access to certain entertainment at my fingertips, you just never think of how blessed we are as a nation. I miss my family and friends foremost of anything and can't wait to share all my adventures with them. 

But what I can't discount is how lucky I am to be here. And I know I must finish the task at hand. With two more games left on our schedule I know my mission and my purpose is to help take this Seals team as far as it can go. I'm excited for the opportunity and the challenge of the Rostock game and the Game against Belefel as well. Two very good teams ahead for us, but nothing worth having comes easy. Let's work hard, fight, and show these guys what Seals' football is all about!

 

Perfect Season? Don't Mind if we Do

8-0 baby, Go Seals!!!

With a 27-0 performance we secured a perfect regular season in our second match-up with the Elmshorn Fighting Pirates yesterday.  Although the team looked a little sluggish in warm-ups and throughout pregame we brought it once again and got a nice win. Although it's tough to follow up a 63 point onslaught, we played another good all-around game. The defense did the job pitching a shut out and offensively we kept the ball moving on the ground using the sweep and the inside run to keep Elmshorn on their heels all day. It felt great to finish what we started with a perfect record on top of the division championship.

On to Relegation...

Now as a team we have to refocus from our accomplishments and be ready for the task ahead. We have two very talented teams ahead of us and we have to be ready to bring our absolute best again. This will test our will and our preparation as a team and as Coach Speckman made clear WE HAVE TO GET TO PRACTICE. It's important we get our timing and schemes just right and go win these games. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't want to just stop with a perfect regular season and the championship. If this club is serious about moving to the next level then this is where we show that we're ready as a group. We need to rally together and go get this one.

5 days to Italy!

Can't wait to go to Italy! It's like a dream come true for me. Flying into Pisa on Friday and then spending Saturday in Rome. Can't wait to see all the historical sites and just take in as Marvin put it history itself in Rome. I took a Roman history class my last semester at WU and learned so much about the culture of Rome, how the empire came to be, and eventually how it fell. I'm excited to see some of the sites we discussed in my class and have the knowledge of exactly what's in front of me. I'll make sure to take hundreds of pics and post them on my Facebook, so I can remember this awesome experience. AHHHH!!!

Thinking about the future...

I've had a couple questions later about what's next. Whether I'm intending to stay in Germany, come back for another season, or just go back to my internship I was doing before I left.  To all this all I can really say is I don't know. I'm really trying to decide all this myself. I'm having a good time over here but I must admit the comforts of home are calling me. And oh man what i would do for a late night Jack in the Box run right about now haha (the little things truly make all the difference lol). Really I'm just taking a wait and see approach right now. Contemplating my future is just too much work cuz there is so much I want to do, but if my past is any indication of what's ahead I think I'll be just fine. Just have to continue to work hard, stay focused and determined, and most importantly don't settle.

Goofy practice, w/ some major decisions on the horizon

Major Decisions:

So today was the beginning of some huge decisions for the Lubeck Seals football club. Since I've only been here a month it felt a little weird to sit and listen (well get translations via Marvin) about where the players, coaches, admin, etc. stand on the team moving from Division 3 to Division 2 in the GFL next season. What I've learned is that the top two teams from each division have the option to move up to the next level up following the season's completion.  Also the last place team is forced to move down based on how many wins and losses the team managed in the season.  What this means for the Seals is a crossroads. Many of the players and some of the coaches/admin would like the status and increased competition that comes from moving to the GFL Div. 2, however the money involved and the amount of work it would take is cause for concern.  As it stand the infrastructure of the club is not necessarily where it needs to be for the team to succeed and continue to build at the next level. Yet with the potential for an undefeated championship season within reach it would seem like the next logical step would be to move up.

Personally I sought to kind of keep my opinion to myself as a newly acquired import player for the Seals. I know how much this means to so many of the guys and I felt at odds within myself to want to say that it would be in the club's best interest to continue to build and to grow within Division 3 at least for one more season. One of my main concerns is with the lack of depth within roster. And on top of that many players have not made the team, practice, training/conditioning, etc a priority. In order to compete at this higher level and remain a successful team would only be possible with increased commitment to football in general for the players. Not only this but more recruiting of players and continuing to build quality players through the youth program to bring up and contribute right away.  All and all I want this for these guys, cuz quickly they've become like family. But at the same time I want these men who I admire so much for their passion to be able to succeed.  Although we did decide to compete in the relegation games to decide if we can move up or not, I think it was a good idea to hold off the choice to actually promote the team to GFL 2. As an organization it has to be considered what's really in everyone's best interest before that choice is made. Whatever happens I wish these guys luck and who knows maybe I'll get to be apart of that next step.

Fun Practice:

Although the intense team meeting took close to 2 hours and took away most of our practice time, we did get out on the field and run around for a bit. We all went out and stretched then just ran routes; linemen, defensive players, and all. It was hilarious to see our 300lb lineman running slants and fade routes from the QB. Highlight of the practice had to be his catch using his head and arms to bring in the ball on a deep route.  It's never dull being out on the field with these guys. I love practices and games and just the camaraderie a dn feeling that every guy has the others back. It's really refreshing. Can't  wait to get back out there this weekend and hopefully put up another big win against Elmshorn. GO SEALS!!!

P.S. Just 10 DAYS TIL ITALY!!!! CAN'T WAIT :)

4 tds = pretty awesome, 63-13 win =- beatd down, but winning the GFL Division III League championship = PRICELESS!!!

CHAMPIONS:

Absolutely HUGE win for the Seals organization. And not only did we clinch our Division championship in our league, but we did it in absolutely dominating fashion. A 63 to 13 victory showed exactly what we can do when we're clicking on all cylinders. The offense and the defense played physical football today and by the 4th quarter absolutely took the fight out of Elmshorn.  It was great to see all the smiles, hugging, congratulations, and celebration from my teammates after all the hard work so many people have put in not just this year but in previous years as well.  In winning today we reached our goal, and I personally helped fulfill what I was brought her to do which was clinch a title for this Seals team and seek to build on what looks to be a very promising future for this club. I'm so glad I was able to contribute and bring a championship to my team. Though I haven't been here long I was almost brought to tears at the sheer emotion and joy of these men who put it all on the line today and we came out victorious.  GO SEALS!!!

Best Game as a Seal:

And it wasn't even close. My first two games were a bit of a struggle as I tried to get used to our rolling carousel at offensive line and mesh with the other skill players around me. But today things just "clicked".  7 carries for 67 yards and 4 TOUCHDOWNS!!!  This was my stat line and if not for an absolutely horrible call by the officials I'd have had a 5th touchdown as well.  Today i just took out a personal vendetta on Elmshorn and all their players. My sole mission was to come here and win a championship and with this win making that a reality I was bound and determined to get the job done. Not only did I do that personally, but as a team we made a statement today about what Seals' football is all about and showed just how dominant a force we can be. Amidst countless broken tackles, showing more heart than my opponent, and simply just willing myself forward I felt nearly unstoppable on the field today.  It was awesome to finally show exactly why T-speck fought so hard to get me here for the last few months of this season and to exhibit my calling card as a football player in my sheer will and determination not to be stopped which showed with damn near a hundred broken tackles haha.

What was best about my game was how I was able to put it all together. Blocking well, running the ball with impeccable vision and burst, and then really finishing every play. I felt I played a complete game both on offense and special teams and most importantly got a much need "W".

Final Thoughts:

I'm so happy to have been welcomed into the Seals family so willingly and openly. It makes me feel amazing to be surrounded by so many nice and amazing people in my teammates and other people really close to the team. Today felt like a dream to be able to share this moment with all my amazing new friends and my Seals family. These guys put in so much hard work and it made me proud that we were able to pull this one out.  This was the a huge reason I came here was to aide this team in securing a championship and bringing some pride to the Seals' football program.

And idk it just feels good to win. I'm so competitive and just hungry for success and this was the ultimate success for myself and my teammates as we were able to protect home-field and bring home a  Seals' championship.

Now we look forward to our rematch with Elmshorn next Friday and then our relegation games against some higher division teams. Can't wait to take on this challenge :)

P.S. ITALY IN 2 WEEKS!!!! I CAN'T WAIT :-D